


Birthday Boy

by nagi_schwarz



Series: Read My Lips [17]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 17:31:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6293413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the comment_fic prompt: Any, Any, unusual birthday tradition. Rodney figures out when John's birthday is and why he refuses to celebrate it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Boy

John refused to accept gifts for his birthday. In fact, he more or less pretended his birthday didn't even exist (which was silly, he was alive, of course his birthday existed). Rodney had only found out when his birthday was because he'd hacked John's personnel file, and even then he'd only caught a glimpse before the system booted him out. He should have been suspicious that John's personnel file had so much additional security over it, but mostly he was glad that he'd found out at least John's birthday that he ignored that file anomaly. The first year they were dating, when Rodney broached the question of birthdays, John had refused gifts (and looked a little narrow-eyed at Rodney for even knowing when his birthday was). He'd even given Rodney a gift instead, which had been sweet but also a little contrary. In fact, John tended to ignore special occasions and then do something that might or might not be considered marking said special occasion at some random later date. Rodney figured he could do the same, let John's birthday pass without remark, and then do something extra-special a random number of days later. Fifteen or something. That would give him plenty of time to plan. Lorne would probably help him out. He had to at least know John's favorite food or something.  
  
On the day of John's actual birthday, Rodney was prepared to act completely casual, like nothing was out of the ordinary. Since probably no one else knew when John's birthday was, no one would be gushing over him and making Rodney's casual behavior a little too studied and...suspicious.  
  
As it turned out, Rodney didn't have to try to act casual around John, because John was nowhere to be found. He joined Rodney for breakfast after his morning run with Lorne, and again for lunch, but any time in between he was impossible to find. Since John could get Atlantis to hide him from the life signs detector, if he didn't want to be found, Rodney wouldn't be able to find him, and not even Stackhouse's near-psychic knowledge of everything that went on in Atlantis would be of assistance.  
  
John was well and truly hidden.  
  
They'd been officially dating for over a year now. Rodney knew John loved him. He was pretty sure John knew Rodney loved him right back. And Rodney was also pretty sure he knew some things about John that no one else knew, like how he'd lost his hearing, and why he never spoke even though he could.  
  
But he didn't know everything about John, and as much as he itched to know, well, everything about the universe, he was going to have to let this go.  
  
That didn't mean he wasn't just the tiniest bit hurt that John was avoiding him so thoroughly.  
  
So he took a walk through the halls of Atlantis, away from the main living and working areas, and tried to clear his head. He wasn't an athlete by any means, but getting up and moving sometimes helped when he was stuck on a problem.

He had been walking for about half an hour when he heard...music. Not loud music or music with heavy bass. No marines partying here.  
  
Guitar music. Soft acoustic strains. Rodney was no expert at the guitar – but he was a fine pianist if he said so himself – but whoever was playing was pretty damn good. He followed the sounds, curious. He probably shouldn't have. If someone was playing all the way out here, they must have wanted some privacy, but Rodney was a very inquisitive person. It was part of what made him so brilliant. So he tip-toed through the corridors till he found it.  
  
A small unused room, dusty without disuse. John was sitting on the floor, laptop across his knees, watching a video. It was old, a little grainy. The guitarist in the video was – of course. John. Maybe sixteen years old. Hair longer, features still boyish. He was sitting on a stool in front of the camera, guitar across his knees, and playing. Not singing, yet, just strumming. Not a song Rodney was familiar with.  
  
When the song ended, people off-camera clapped, and a woman stepped into the frame. Rodney had never seen her before, but he knew who she was immediately, because she had the same dark eyes and ears and smile as John.  
  
"Happy birthday, Johnny," she said, and leaned down and kissed his brow.  
  
The way he smiled up at her, open and innocent, made Rodney's heart ache. This must have been filmed a few weeks before she died.  
  
"Happy birthday to you too, Mama," young John said.  
  
Rodney withdrew. He'd let John have his birthday alone, in privacy, not just today, but every birthday after, until John told him otherwise. As he walked back to the main part of the city, he wondered what nice thing he could do for John. John had shared part of his youth with Rodney. It was Rodney's turn to share something with him. He wondered if Jeannie still had photos from that play he was in back in high school...


End file.
